An absolutely MASSIVE week of New Music Mondays for us this time, with a whopping 24 releases for us to check out across the rock, metal, country and even pop world! I even had to enlist the help of occasional Overtone writers Max and Owen to help out! Let’s not waste any time, let’s do this!
Gorillaz: The Mountain
As someone who’s never been massively into the Damon Albarn side project, only liking a few songs over the years, I was not at all excepting what I found myself listening to here. I know they’ve been pretty art rock over the years and incorporated plenty of different sounds into their own, but the occasional Asian theming was not something I was ready for heading in. And honestly, regardless of the theming of the album… this fucking sucks. I’m sorry, I know the band are massive (40M monthly listeners is insane), and there will certainly be people who like this album. If you are one of them, that’s awesome, and I’m glad someone does. But I don’t know how anyone can listen to something like ‘The Hardest Thing’ and think “I enjoyed that, I want to listen again!”. I know that as not a big fan of a lot of modern hip-hop or arty stuff, I’m not the target audience, but this is definitely lower in quality than their early stuff. The closest thing to a good track I found was ‘Orange County’ or ‘The Shadowy Light’, and even then I think that claim is a stretch. Again, if you like this, awesome, but fuck was a it a boring slog of a 56-minutes to get through. 2.5/10, make it stop.
Rob Zombie: The Great Satan
Somehow, it does not feel like nearly five years since the last album we’ve had from the horror master. A lot has changed in those five years, though. Firstly, John 5 is gone and is now in Motley Crüe, while Piggy D is now playing with Manson. However, both have been replaced by original members Mike Riggs and Blasko, making this maybe the most impressive lineup of Rob’s solo project yet. And, because of this, we’ve had the most old-school feeling Zombie album in decades. This has a heaviness and darkness and edge to it that didn’t feel present through his more recent stuff. And hey, I like his previous four albums a lot, but this certainly hits different. The opener feels ripped straight from a White Zombie release, while single ‘(I’m a) Rock “N” Roller’ dials up his industrial edge to 11 and tracks like ‘Black Rat Coffin’ and the excellent ‘The Devilman’ still have the lighter, more radio-friendly elements of his modern stuff. It really has a bit of everything, feeling more of a combination/culmination of his previous works. And there isn’t a bad track throughout; nearly-40 minutes going by in a flash. Heck, the back half of the album is arguably somehow better than the first!
It’s an album for old-school Zombie fans, feeling like a return to form from someone who never really dipped or didn’t feel like he went away! It’s such a fun listen and certainly be spinning this plenty moving forward. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, and goddamn do I hope he tours the UK with it this time!
A Thousand Horses: White Flag Down
This leaned surprisingly more into the rock side of their sound over the country that I was expecting. It’s a lot more early 2000s radio rock inspired, such as a Shinedown, but does at least keep the elements of Southern rock in there too akin to Blacktop Mojo or Black Stone Cherry. It was just a bit of a shock heading in expecting ‘Smoke’ and ‘Song to Remember’. It’s not like it was even a gradual change too, as 2024’s The Outside was still firmly routed in country.
If that sounds like a complaint, however, ir certainly isn’t! As different as it is, it’s still damn good music! It’s 36-minutes of non-stop great rock music with a dark, Southern tinge. It’s a journey through loss and trying not to give up, a theme that is all too relatable these days. I love the way it’s arranged too, with the more heavy, aggravated tracks opening before it opens up into more country/Southern rock ballad territory for the back half. The more I listened, the more I loved it, and the more ended up on my personal playlist! I’ve spun this three times over the weekend and every song is as good as the last; all excellent, emotion-filled and fit the tone of the album perfectly. It’s impossible to pick select highlights, as it’s all so good and flows incredibly. And, from the playing to the vocals, lyrics to the tones to the arrangements, it’s all phenomenally well done.
This is a band who have evolved and tried something different to amazing results, proving that they are some of the best and most underrated songwriters around today. It’s going to be an album I revisit often, and will be HIGH on our albums of the year list come December. I feel like I’ve been a touch harsher than usual this year so far, but this is absolutely excellent, and I can’t give it any less than 10/10. Check this out immediately, regardless of what you are into!
Bruno Mars: The Romantic
Okay, so while strictly more pop than anything else, you cannot argue the inspiration Bruno pulls from the rock world, alongside the likes of Soul and R&B. And I’ve been a fan of his since he broke out, and would be listening to this anyway. And, it’s my magazine, so I can do what I want!
While opening on a slow ballad was an odd choice, ‘Risk it All’ is a beautiful, emotion-filled track that is hard to it to love. The other single from the album, ‘I Just Might’, I’d honestly put up there alongside any of his hits, it really is that good! Then you have tracks like the soft rock ‘Why you Wanna Fight?’ and the bouncy, jazzy ‘Something Serious’ that are also huge highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track throughout. His vocals are as incredible as ever, instrumentally it’s great (a surprising amount of guitar solos) and the harmonies are utterly phenomenal as always. It’s maybe a touch on the slower side overall than I’d have hoped for, but at only 31 minutes, in a rare case, I’d have happily taken more music. Especially when this is the first mainline release from the guy in a decade! It’s definitely worth a listen if you are at all interested, and gets a solid 8/10 from us!
Carpenter Brut: Leather Temple
Max: So, I am not the most versed in instrumental music and especially not synth but after this, I think I’m going to have to listen to more. It’s a bit odd and has some familiar themes throughout. However, the bouncy and flowing nature of each track kept me hooked and moving whilst listening. The metal instruments at points were simply quite cool and gave a number of the songs an almost Doom-like epicness which just keeps you going. Whilst, at least to me, it felt like the first few tracks were a little samey, on a second and then third listen, I was able to notice more and more subtle differences which made each track interesting. Whilst it might not be the greatest album ever in that genre, I wouldn’t say it is in anyway bad. For me, a really fun album that I think everyone should listen to! 9/10
Paul Gilbert: WROC
We’ve already checked out this album! Read the full review here!
Phoenix Lake: Seraphina: The Fall From Eden
The highly anticipated debut album from the melodic metallers finally dropped this last Friday. To say it lives up to the hype would be an understatement! It’s a 45-minute journey of a fallen angel perfectly encapsulated in heavy riffs and soaring vocals. The bands unique brand of melodic hard rock, metalcore and modern power metal is amazing and makes them feel pretty unique, easily standing out around a lot of their peers in the UK. And, on top of that, the quality here is insanely high. Personal highlights are ‘This Abyss’, ‘Fractured Wings’ and ‘Bells of Variel’, though there really isn’t a bad track throughout. It also has a perfect flow to it, everything fitting together amazingly and the interludes helping make it more of a concept album. Also, shout-out to whoever mixed and produced this because damn, everything sounds MASSIVE.
These guys have been building a lot of steam the last few years, and this feels like the perfect time to finally be dropping this debut. If you have even a passing liking of metal, I can’t recommend checking this out enough! The band are going to be a big name in metal in the coming years, and this is the perfect jumping-off point for that. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!
Iron & Wine: Hen’s Teeth
Owen: Prolific singer songwriter Sam Beam brings us Hen’s Teeth, the eighth studio album under his stage name Iron & Wine. With a career spanning over 20 years, Iron & Wine continues to evolve and develop with age and experience. Hen’s Teeth simultaneously manages to bring in familiar elements from previous albums as well as push new directions for the artist. Beam’s unique vocals remain the focus of these 10 tracks, but the production is more polished and the instrumentals elevated. Certain tracks really show a love for 70’s folk-rock, with tracks like ‘In Your Ocean’ evoking the stylings of Fleetwood Mac or Crosby Stills and Nash. I personally would have liked a few more upbeat tracks in this style on the album as this track particularly shines. Hen’s Teeth also includes two tracks featuring I’m With Her, ‘Robin’s Egg’, and ‘Wait Up’, the combination of the bands vocals with Beam’s own vocal and writing skill is a match made in heaven and worth checking out for fans of impressive harmony. 7/10
Internal Decay: Fires of the Forgotten
Returning with new music for the first time in a whopping 33 years, and their first output since their 2023 reunion, this three track release goes hard. It feels a lot more melodeath than I was expecting heading in, maybe even more so than their debut all those years ago. That’s definitely not a bad thing though, as I loved every minute of this 16. However, the epic ‘A Demon’s Bow’ is a particular highlight for me! I’m so glad the band have returned, and I already want more from them! This may be even better than their album, you can tell they’ve matured as songwriters in their time away. If you are at all into the genre, this is an absolute must! 8/10
A Wilhelm Scream: Cheap Heat
Max: This is my first foray in to AWS but I must say the 3 seconds of reading I did about them before hand was pretty spot on; this is a fun and catchy album where you get realed in immediately. I don’t think there was a track on the album that wasn’t interesting, everything felt spot on and thought out so I never felt like it got bogged down. However, something that might be a positive or a negative depending on your perspective, is that the album is very short, sub 30 minutes! For me, it felt like the perfect amount of time and nothing overstayed its welcome. However, equally I can understand the desire to have something longer. Either way, it is certain that AWS can make a punchy and enjoyable album. 8.5/10
No Murder No Mustache: As Everything Else Decays
Album number three from the Celtic punk soloist Owen Crawford is another damn fun release! Clearly pulling inspiration from everyone from Dropkicks to Ferocious Dog to even the likes of Frank Turner and Offspring, No Murder is still very much its own thing, and does its thing with a unique style. It’s a sound that I’m a big fan of, as well as being nostalgic towards, so of course I love this. However, it’s also high quality in its own right. Tracks like ‘Dic Penderyn’, single ‘Wasted’ and ‘Never Again’ are personal highlights, but every track on it is pretty great. The lyrics are fantastic as well, punk through and through and calling out just about everything wrong with the establishment. However, having said that, 14 tracks (even if that’s including the intro and bonus ones) is a touch long. Still, at least the album is broken up by ballads like ‘As Darkness Falls’. If you are a fan of any of the artists I’ve mentioned already, this is still well worth checking out, and the project certainly has a new fan in me! 7.5/10
Utopia Development Corporation: Industrial Area Swimming Center
This debut EP sure is a mouthful. However, it is also a pretty great indie-punk release! It’s dark and pretty heavy too, with definite elements of hardcore. And, at just 15-minutes, it’s the perfect length for me with this sort of music. Much more and I think I’d have gotten a little bored of its similar style, but when it’s just four tracks it’s easy to appreciate how great it is. The band are all massively talented at their style and instruments, as well as being really good songwriters. Both ‘Repeat’ and ‘Dance Demons, Dance’ are excellent songs I’ll happily have in my rotation moving forward, even though I typically am not into this sort of style as much. If you are into any of the styles I’ve mentioned already, this is definitely worth checking out. They are definitely a band to keep an eye on, and this gets a solid 7/10 from us!
Hannah Schneider: In This Room
Owen: “Melancholic and cinematic alternative pop” is how Hannah Schneider describers her sound,
which as I listen to the 10 tracks that make up In This Room seems a perfect description. Raised in Copenhagen by classical musicians Schneider’s musical intelligence shines through early on in
the album, expect a wide range of musical styles, instruments, and inspirations not only throughout the album but within each track. Fans will recognise ‘Lighthouse’, previously released as a single, a stand out track bringing in a range elements from electronica melodies to Spanish
flamenco guitar. Overall the album is a slow chilled out exploration of the previously mentioned description of her music. Schneider and collaborator Christian Balvig have put together an
impressive album, not one that’s going to start a lively party any time soon, but a contemplative thoughtful collection of tracks. 8.5/10
Nerve Star: White Hot
Another debut album this week, this time from the NWOBHM revivalists. For a band that have only been together a couple of years, this is an absolutely amazing release. Every member works their ass off throughout, all being masters at their chosen instrument. It’s very Judas Priest/Saxon in all the best ways. I mean, anything featuring Janne Stark was bound to be good, but this blew away even my expectations! Tracks like ‘Black Ice’, ‘Black Jack’ and ‘The Harder the Better’ are personal highlights. Every track is good, though I do have to admit that the hour-long runtime was maybe a little much when much of it is so similar. Having said that, I did enjoy the little instrumental tracks that show off Stark and his criminally underrated guitaring! Another must for anyone into the old-school style of metal and a very easy 8/10 from us!
Cryptic Shift: Overspace & Supertime
Max: There are lots of albums that come out that try and really encapsulate what a certain genre or combination of genres should be like. It is this blend of progressive thrash that really like to stand out and in an aggressive way. From the almost soothing scales played as breaks across certain tracks to the jump and strange timing of other rifts its hard to pin down at any point and you really can’t say that it is in any way simple. Whilst it’s not an album for me, just as a case study for excellence you really can’t hate it. Sure you may not like it, but it is oozing with talent and skill through out. The insane feat of the half-an-hour track ‘Stratocumulus Evergaol’ is a particular highlight, and could easily be an album of its own 8/10
Jon Langston: Thing About Me
Somehow only the second album from the rather long-standing country star, it follows up Heart on Ice rather perfectly! It’s a rock-infused country album that is packed full of fun (if a little cliche) songs! It’s does feel like a hangover from the bro-country days, especially from the lyrics, but when the genre isn’t everywhere constantly, it’s enjoyable to get the odd release of it! And, shockingly, 46-minutes goes by in a flash here! From ‘Whiskey Weather’ and ‘Thing About Me’ to ‘Comes Out in the Whiskey’ and the heavier duet with Rory Rodriguez, ‘Find You’, it’s packed full of awesome songs! If you are into 2010s country, like I am, this is definitely an album worth giving a spin. Outside of his big tracks I hadn’t heard much from him, but he’s definitely good at putting out full albums, too! This is a solid 7.5/10 from us!
Necrofier: Transcend Into Oblivion
Album number three from the Texan black metallers goes just as hard as their previous two! This is nearly an hour of dark brutality and, while long-time readers will know the genre usually isn’t my go-to, I had a blast listening to this! It’s also hard to pick singular tracks as highlights, mainly because it is all a similar level of quality, but also because nine of the tracks are bunched together in three parts of the same song, following on perfectly from each other each time. Having said that, the first part of ‘Servants of Darkness’ was particularly awesome! Even in a niche genre, the band deserve to be bigger, and hopefully this is the release to take them to that point. Give this a spin if you like the heavier side of metal, and thank me later! 7/10
Philip Shouse: Side 1
The first solo release from the Accept guitar legend is a fun little jaunt through five great hard rock tracks! He still gets to show off his incredible guitar skills even when not in a metal environment, and it was actually nice to hear a different style from him. Heck, the punky, poppy ‘The Naked Empress’ was probably my favourite track on here, though they’re all good! It’s just a fun, light-hearted release that’s impossible not to have a good time listening to. I already cannot wait for Side 2, whenever that may drop, but I’m happy to wait it out and keep spinning this. I’m honestly shocked he’s not done a solo venture before now, as he clearly has a different style he wants to play and is damn good at writing it! A solid 8/10 from us, good stuff!
Pil & Blue: You Have Chosen Darkness (Level 5)
The first revisit of the (Level)s format since their 2014 debut, the melodic/melancholic/ vaguely proggy rock duo do a great job at continuing on their sound here. Firstly, the fact that they get this level of sound and depth out of just two of them is insane, being equal parts emotional and epic throughout. It gives off very big Chevelle vibes in the very best ways, also mixed with a healthy dose of Placebo. ‘Somewhere In Between’ is the perfect opener for this, while it is followed up incredibly by the thrashy, punky ‘222’. The awesomeness doesn’t stop there either, as the other five tracks on this are just as good, honestly! They are such incredible players and songwriters, and it’s easy to see why they are getting so much love in their home country. They have a big new fan in me, and I’ll certainly be going back and checking out Levels 1-4! It’s one of the best 30 minutes of music I’ve listened to all year so far, and I can’t give it anything less than 9.5/10. Check this out ASAP!
Daniel Young: Another Golden Hour
Album number five from the country-infused soft rocker is a beautiful, chilled-out 46-minute collection. It’s not going to be for everyone reading this, but I had a blast listening. It’s such an easy listen, and all 10 tracks are as good as the last! It gave off vibes of everyone from Jack Johnson to Charley Crockett to Pinegrove throughout. Maybe it was the better weather that this album seemed to summon with its release, but it’s perfect for relaxing in the sun with! If you like things a little slower and more chilled, this is definitely the album for you! Daniel’s vocals and lyric writing are both amazing, and the vague blues/country instrumentation fits both perfectly. I can’t give it any less than 8/10, great stuff!
Lone Assembly: Knots & Chains
The Swiss new wave/post-punk quartet dropped their highly anticipated debut this last Friday, and honestly blew me away with it! It’s a genre I have an up-and-down relationship with, but something about this drew me in immediately and didn’t let me go for its full 38-minutes. They wear their Sisters of Mercy and The Cure inspirations firmly on their sleeves, yet also sound modernised, the fantastic production most likely helping on that front. From the opener to ‘Nocturnal Vision’ to ‘You’re Pulling at the Same Strings’, there is plenty to love throughout! It’s a style that seems to be coming back, at least in the underground, and newer bands like this are building on and continuing the sound perfectly. It’s another incredibly easy listen, all 10 tracks going by in a flash, so check this out if you are at all curious. It gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10 from us, what a hell of a debut!
Owls Over Oaks: O.O.O.
Another massive debut album, this time from the Italian drone-doom collective. First things first, I really enjoyed the idea of this being a three track album, and each is just one word from the band name. Hilarious. However, it’s not a genre/style I think I ‘get’. I suppose the other positive is that there are some nasty tones in this, in the best way. Guitar, bass, drums and even the vocals all sound awesome from a production standpoint. But each track is 10+ minutes of the same thing over and over, and at a pretty slow pace overall. If you are into this sort of thing, more power to you, but it’s definitely not the sort of thing I’ll be rushing back to listen to again. The band members are clearly all talented, it’s just not for me. Maybe I’d get it more in a live setting. However, for now, I can’t give this much more than a 3.5/10, sorry guys. The repetition was just too much for me.
Scratch One Grub: One
Oh look, another debut album! This time it comes curtesy of the Welsh six-piece and their proggy, heavy sound. It’s very hardcore, but also very death/black metal, a splash of gothic or emo, and has plenty of metalcore elements too, making it one of the most unique listens I’ve had recently. The closest thing I can think of as a comparison is Tallah, but even then it doesn’t fit perfectly. The band are also insanely talented, crafting some wild riffs, brutal screams and crushing breakdowns throughout, all fitting together perfectly. Tracks like ‘Vagabond’, ‘Bad Habit’ and single ‘#1’ are all personal highlights, but honestly every track is pretty great, it all flowing together perfectly! I have to see this live, it’s the kind of chaotic energy that already had me wanting to pit on my own in the living room. However, it is also excellent on track, and will certainly be one I’ll be spinning plenty in the weeks and months to come. The band have a big new fan in me, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!
Magoo: What a Life
I LOVE that this sort of style is still coming out of newer bands, and this is an absolutely fantastic debut release from the Americana/bluegrass four-piece. They had me hooked right from the opening with that harmonised chorus, ‘Ohio Blues’ being an incredible early highlight. Then you have tracks like the chilled ‘Big Fall’, the Sam Bush-featuring ‘Angel of Telluride’ and the beautiful title song that are also big highlights. Plus, can we just appreciate the sheer mind-blowing playing on ‘Rippin Richard’? Insane! The whole album is packed full of highlights and fantastic songs, and nearly an hour went by in a flash. If you are even vaguely country-leaning, this is an absolute must of an album for you. And for this to be a debut album is even more incredible. It’s a modern, more radio-infused bluegrass, and I’m a little obsessed! Some amazing instrumentation and lyrics throughout, and it’s an incredibly easy 9/10 from us!